A Second Chance
by MS-16 Z Jaeger
Summary: He died wishing he could fix his mistakes. Now he has been given that chance, but in a way he never expected. Anakin Skywalker has been sent to the Clone Wars, not as himself but as Darth Vader. Now the Chosen One must face his greatest challenge yet; stopping Sidious from succeeding once again, and staying one step ahead of his younger self. No one ever said redemption was easy.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

A Second Chance

"_The Force is indiscriminate when it comes to dealing out punishment. It shows no favoritism, no restraint. If you have committed a grave sin, then you will be punished according to that sin. Many would say that it is heartless in the way it deals out punishment; however I see it as firm but fair. It sees in black and white; commit evil and you will be made to suffer for your transgressions, live a life of goodness and you will be properly rewarded. It will always be that way, for as long as beings are able to define good and evil. That being said however, there are times when even the Force must adjust the punishment to fit the circumstances." – _Darth Vader

Darth Vader, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, Dark Lord of the Sith, was dead.

Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, legendary Jedi Knight, husband of Padme Amidala, and father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, was alive again. It felt good to be himself again.

That was the thought that ran through his mind as he and his former dark master Sidious plummeted down the shaft that housed the elevator to the throne room and eventually led to the reactor. Sidious was screaming bloody murder, but Vader – Anakin – wore a smile under his black mask. After twenty years of misery and slavery he was finally free, all thanks to his son Luke. He closed his eyes in silent regret at the thought of his son. He wished he could go back and start fresh with his son, that he could actually be a father to the boy. Then again, there were a lot of things he wished he could start fresh on.

As he fell, the faces of all those he had held dear drifted into his vision. His mother, Qui Gon, Obi Wan, Ahsoka, Padme… He would be seeing them again soon, he knew it, and he took comfort in that knowledge as the heat of the reactor began to engulf him.

As his body was atomized by the forces of the Death Star's reactor, Anakin Skywalker was finally at peace.

* * *

Anakin opened his eyes as he lay in the middle of an endless white expanse. Had he moved on to the Living Force? It seemed so, as this definitely wasn't the Death Star and he was no longer in his life support suit but in his old Jedi robes. Aside from the fact that it had none of the architecture and color of the space station's halls, this place felt less… heavy than the Death Star. There wasn't any darkness here, only life and warmth. But surely this wasn't all there was to it was there? Where were all those who had died before, where were the features of paradise that were said by the Jedi to exist here?

A door appeared before him, causing him to take a step back in surprise. It was rather plain, simply a gray metal door with no markings or visible means of opening it save for a handle. Was he supposed to go through this door to get to the Living Force? Was this empty space simply a transitional area perhaps? A place where one fully crossed over to the other side? He'd never heard of such a thing, but what did it matter? He would be leaving here soon enough. The Jedi reached out to the door intending to grasp the handle, and the fingertips of his right hand brushed against it.

As soon as his hand touched the handle however, something strange happened. The door wouldn't move no matter how hard he pushed, and he moved to step back from the door to contemplate on why this was. When he tried to though his hand would not let go of the handle as if it had been glued on. He pulled with all of his might yet it did nothing. Somewhat disturbed by this, Anakin willed himself to calm down and think clearly. However, soon the experience moved from disturbing to downright terrifying.

An inky black liquid sprouted from the door handle and latched onto his hand, causing his eyes to widen in horror as he yelped in panic. He grabbed his right arm with his free hand to try and pull himself free, but all that succeeded in doing was getting the substance on his left arm as well. "What is this?!" he shouted, his voice tinged with uncharacteristic fear. "What's going on?!"

He finally managed to pull himself free from the door, trying frantically to get whatever this substance was off of him. It was to no avail as the liquid had by now reached his elbows and was advancing rapidly up the rest of his arms. When he looked down at his arms his terror increased a hundred fold as he saw their new form. His forearms were garbed in the same fabric of the suit he had worn as Darth Vader, and as the substance continued to move up his arms he could see that it was leaving whatever parts of his body it touched covered in a piece of the life support suit. No, this couldn't be happening! He had turned away from this! He had chosen the Light Side! He wouldn't go back to that miserable state of being, not again!

"Not again!" he shouted as he continued to try and rid himself of the horrifying substance. "I won't go through it again!"

As if in response to his shouts a hole opened up underneath Anakin, and he screamed at the top of his lungs as he fell into a black abyss. The hole closed, leaving him smothered in darkness as his fall was broken by a virtual lake of the inky substance. He screamed out in terror as he felt the liquid smothering his entire body, thrashing about wildly as he desperately tried to escape. It was to no avail however, and soon the last bit of his body that the liquid had not reached, his left eye, was swallowed by a substance as black as the void of space itself.

* * *

After an indeterminable amount of time Anakin awoke, and he darted up as he remembered what had happened. A door, a black substance consuming him, darkness… He put his hand to his face as he sagged in relief, glad that it had only been a dream. As soon as his hand touched his face however he jumped in shock. His face felt… _wrong_. It felt angular and mechanical, and it was a hauntingly familiar feeling. As he realized that not all was well he noticed a mirror that he was sure hadn't been there before. Dreading what he would see, the Chosen One turned to face the mirror, and when he saw his reflection he felt his world shatter. For in front of him stood not the reflection of Anakin Skywalker, but of Darth Vader.

At once it all came crashing down. His vision was shaded with the red of his suit's visual scanners, he felt as if the weight of the outfit would make him collapse, and the sound of that accursed breath filled his ears. He sank to his knees as his face was buried in his hands, a sob retching itself out of his throat. The vocalizer of his suit caused the sound to be distorted into a mechanical sounding growl.

"Why," he half asked, half sobbed. "Must I be made to suffer more? Was twenty years not enough?"

"**No, it was not enough."**

Anakin sprang to his feet at the unexpected response, his masked head darting around as his hand instinctually drifted to his lightsaber. "Who's there?" he demanded, his voice echoing. "Show yourself!"

A collection of a million voices answered in unison. **"Very well."**

A shape began to take form in front of the ex Sith Lord, and he gripped his lightsaber tightly yet at the same time leaving it deactivated. Eventually the shape resolved into a robed figure with a ghostly blue glow. Its face was hidden by the cowl of its hood; in fact not a single part of the entity's body was visible from under the robe except for the lower face which resembled a human's. The mouth of the face was contorted in a sharp frown.

"What are you?" Anakin demanded, raising his still inactive lightsaber in warning. "Answer honestly or I will destroy you."

The being's frown only deepened, and it once again spoke in its voice(s?). **"You presume to have such strength? Before us you are nothing. We are eternal, boundless, unequaled in reach and power. We are your judge and punisher. We are the limitless Force itself."**

Anakin recoiled as if he had been struck. What this being said made no sense! The Force was not a single entity! "How is that possible?" he asked. "You cannot be the Force incarnate! Such a thing is imposs-"

"**Your preconceptions of impossibility do not exist in this realm. We can assume any form we wish, be it the figure you see now or a force that spans the entire galaxy. Even in this limited form our reach is still incomprehensible to you. We can feel the thoughts of everything from the lowest bacteria to the highest gods. Do not doubt who we are, Chosen One."**

Anakin stood there for a moment before assuming a more relaxed stance. While he normally wouldn't just take someone's word for it, he could feel the power radiating from this entity. It contained the strength of thousands of galaxies and countless individuals and he was not even a speck before it. For one of the few times in his life the Jedi was truly humbled.

"Why are you here?" he opted to ask, deciding to ignore the fact that this entity was referring to itself in the plural form. "Surely one dead being does not warrant the attention of the Living Force itself."

"**That is where you are wrong," **the Force shot back, its million voices showing no emotion. **"You are an extension of us. We created you to restore balance. And you failed. Spectacularly."**

"Don't remind me," Anakin muttered, before replying louder. "So is that the reason you've come to see me then? To personally oversee my punishment?"

The Force nodded, its lower face still showing no emotion.

"What shall it be then?" he asked, resignation lacing his voice. "Shall I be doomed to some Force Hell along with the rest of the Sith? Or will I be forced to wonder this space for all time?"

The Force simply shook its head in a negative to this before answering. **"Yours will not be the usual punishment. We realize that the circumstances of your fall are… unique. Therefore, a unique action to fit the unique nature of the crime is required."**

It made a gesture, and suddenly the Hero with No Fear was enveloped in chains of an ethereal quality. They looked transparent but were harder than any durasteel vice. At first he struggled, but he soon gave up on the act. He deserved whatever punishment the Force had seen fit to give him. He would take it with dignity.

He turned his masked gaze to his judge, his face resolute under his face plate. "What is to be my fate then?" he asked.

The Force raised its hand at him with the fingers splayed, as if gesturing to a crowd. **"Your punishment shall be twofold," **it declared, its million voices booming. **"Henceforth, we strip you of the name Skywalker. That is the name of a champion of the light, and you have forfeited all rights to it. You shall now bear the name of darkness you so willingly took upon your descent."**

He nodded grimly. He was no longer Anakin Skywalker. For now on he would forever be known as Darth Vader. It was fitting. "And the rest?"

"**As your dark deeds are as numerous and severe as they are, we see only one course that is adequate for your redemption. You must prevent your past self from falling onto the dark path. You shall dedicate every breath to insuring your mistakes are not repeated."**

This declaration was followed by a long moment of silence, which was finally broken when Anakin – _Vader_, he corrected himself – lamely replied, "Pardon?"

For the first time the Force seemed to show emotion in the form of exasperation. **"Need we repeat ourselves? We are sending you to the past, to repair the damage you have done."**

His mind finally caught up with what the Force was saying, and he felt a surge of immeasurable joy. How he had wished for the chance to be able to do it over again! And now here it was, handed to him on a silver platter!

But wait, how was giving him what he wanted a punishment? He asked this to the Force, whose reply came in the form of a small grin. **"Is is not obvious? You will fix your mistakes not as Skywalker, but as Vader. All who have known you will see only a Sith Lord. All of those you love will shun you, revile you, loathe you, and will seek your destruction. This is your true punishment; to be utterly alone. Fitting is it not?"**

The simple indifference that the Force answered with didn't detract from the impact of the words. Right then it clicked in Vader's head. The Force wasn't doing him a favor at all; in fact it was giving him one of the most severe punishments it possibly could. While it may not have appeared so, Vader's heart recently was very fragile. He had lost everything: his wife, his master and friend, his apprentice, the ability to simply _breathe _on his own was even taken away. His heart had been shattered a long time ago, ever since that day on Mustafar, being held together only by sheer strength of will and being buried under the Dark Side. It had been brought back to the surface when he had discovered that his son was in fact alive, and for all those years he had struggled to keep himself together as he attempted to reunite with Luke. Granted he was thankful that he had been unsuccessful as it would have meant Luke falling to the Dark Side as well, but he had still sought to get a piece of his old life back all the same.

Now, he would be so close to all of his loved ones again yet at the same time so far away, unable to touch them or smile with them for a very long time, perhaps never. Instead he would have to fight them, perhaps even kill some of them. … No, he refused to do that no matter what the situation turned into. He had already hurt his friends and loved ones once; he would die before he did it again.

He looked up at the Force, his eyes glinting in determination and resolve under the black mask. He took on an air of dignity in spite of the suit. "I accept this punishment," he answered, his baritone voice ringing out. "Are there any specific conditions I need to be aware of?"

Outwardly the Force's face remained blank, but on the inside it grinned. It hadn't expected Skywalker to be so accepting of his punishment considering his history. Perhaps he had underestimated his resolve to make up for what he had done.

"**There are two conditions," **it replied**. "First, no one must realize the truth of your purpose until the time is right. Do everything in your power to make sure they buy the ruse of you being a Sith Lord, even if it means killing Jedi; otherwise, all will come crashing down. Is that understood?"**

Vader nodded somewhat reluctantly, rather uncomfortable with facing the prospect of killing his fellow Jedi once again but at the same time steeling himself. Many Jedi would die during the war with or without his interference. He would just have to make sure he saved as many as he could, especially those who shouldn't have died in the first place.

"**Excellent. The second provision is less of a rule and more advice. We will permit you to use the Dark Side in order to maintain your identity as a Sith Lord so long as you do not delve too deeply into it. Remember to keep one foot firmly in the light or you will be forever lost."**

Vader was surprised at this. He would be allowed to tap into the Dark Side? "Aren't I being punished for using the Dark Side in the first place?" he asked.

The Force nodded. **"You are, but you misunderstand. You are being punished for delving too deeply into the darkness, not for the simple act of using it. The Light and Dark are two sides of the same coin," **the Force said as it gestured to itself. **"We cannot exist without the other. The Darkness is a part of us, one that is misunderstood and shunned. We would have you change that."**

Vader pondered over this for a few moments before nodding in acceptance. What the Force said made sense. And besides, if the Living Force itself was saying that it was okay to use the Dark Side (at least in moderation) then who was he to turn down the chance? "I accept these terms," he finally said. "I am ready to begin my punishment."

The Force nodded in satisfaction before waving its hand. With that, the chains that had been holding Vader down disappeared, and Vader himself seemed to disintegrate into a million shards of light as he was brought back to that flat and limited realm called the "Real World."

"**Go, Chosen One," **the Force said as it began walking off towards a recently appeared door. **"Go and defy Destiny, as you are wont to do."**

* * *

Author's Note: Against my better judgement I've decided to go ahead and post this now. As you undoubtedly know this is a time travel fic featuring Anakin, except I've decided to put my own spin on it. I'll be honest, I haven't read that many time travel fics featuring the Chosen One, but this concept has always intrigued me regardless. That, and the idea of Vader appearing in the Clone Wars is plain awesome.

Due to my other projects this story is at the absolute bottom of my priorities right now, and honestly I'm putting this up to test the waters on what people think of this idea. So don't be expecting regular updates, if any, for a long time. Nevertheless, please tell me what you think and don't hold back on any critiques you might have.

Til next time.


	2. Chapter 2 Enter Lord Vader

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

Chapter One: Enter Lord Vader

Normally the forests of Ruusan were teeming with the sounds of wildlife. Birds chirping, bushes rustling, and multiple other organic noises could be heard almost nonstop. But not today. Today, they were all silent, hiding and cowering in fear at the monster that had appeared in their midst. Today the only sound that broke the silence of Ruusan's forests was the inhuman breath of Darth Vader.

He pondered his current predicament as he made his way through the silent forests, keeping his ears open for any unnatural sounds. Aside from his breathing, anyway.

_I know that I am on Ruusan, the climate, environment, and species all match up, but I don't know exactly when. If I remember correctly, the Separatists had set up a base in the early months of the war, which was attacked by the Republic soon after it was established. I think the Republic won that battle, though I can't remember which Jedi was in charge…_

Eventually he simply shrugged. If the base was still around he would simply make his way to it, and if not he would simply find a ship and leave the planet. Though what he would do if he _did _find the base, he wasn't quite sure of yet…

The Sith lord shook his head. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now he was content with simply enjoying the view and contemplating his momentous task. He had been sent back in time by the Living Force itself, but not exactly as himself. He was still encased in the life support suit that had been his cage for the last twenty years, and he still relied on it to survive. That wasn't the main thing that bothered him though.

_He wasn't the only Anakin Skywalker._

The mere thought of it was enough to make him feel slightly dizzy. He hadn't yet seen it for himself, but he knew all the same. He could feel him in the Force, his younger self. It was a strange thing, sensing your own presence in a different person. Almost disturbing. It was going to be _very _interesting when they met for the first time. He would have to work on making sure that the younger Skywalker didn't discover his identity through the Force. If he was found out… the consequences didn't bear wondering.

The same went for his loved ones. No matter how much it hurt, he couldn't let them know who he really was. Not Obi Wan, not Ahsoka, not even Padme could know. While the thought of being close to Padme again yet unable to even touch her nearly tore his heart asunder, Vader steeled himself. It was necessary. As long as she was alive at the end, he could bear whatever might come. That didn't stop him from feeling immense sorrow.

_I swear to you Padme, so long as I draw breath I will protect you with all my strength. I will destroy anyone who tries to hurt you. Even my younger self. _

Though if it really got to the point of Vader having to kill his younger self, then he will have already failed.

The cyborg once again shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was getting ahead of himself. Before he could even begin to attempt changing the time flow, he had to find a way off of this planet.

For now, that meant finding the Separatist base if it was still intact. With a firm nod he continued in his current direction, his heavy footsteps and breathing being the only sounds that accompanied him.

* * *

Colonel Rune Gunray, Nemoidian commandant of the Separatist garrison on Ruusan (and distant relative to Nute Gunray, a fact which did nothing for his pride), was having a very bad day.

This was punctuated when the control room that he and his staff stood in rumbled from the seemingly endless Republic artillery fire that continued to rain down on their forces. Unlike most of his species, Rune was not afraid of battle, and was in fact a hardened veteran of multiple battles in the recently dubbed Clone Wars. While he had gotten his rank mainly through family connections, this did not detract from the fact that he was one of the few competent commanders within the C.I.S. and was well suited for the rank. Which was why he knew the chances of them winning this fight were slim to none.

They were heavily outnumbered, with most of the Separatist forces having been destroyed earlier on in battle against the Republic. This was due to the decision of the former base commandant, who had foolishly taken the bulk of their droid and organic troops out to the field and away from the protection of the base's AA guns. Now he was dead, and commanding what was left of the battered garrison fell to Rune.

He gritted his teeth as the command room rumbled once again. "Gentlemen, and ladies," he said to his subordinates who were gathered around a holotable which displayed the base and their forces as red icons. "As you can see, we are in a dire situation. Most of our forces have been destroyed, and we barely have enough troops to defend the base. What's more, our scouts have confirmed that the Republic forces have received reinforcements, and if my hunch is correct they will begin their advance on us soon. We have nowhere to run to, as our backs are pressed up against a cliff and the Republic is in front of us, not even mentioning the fleet they have blockading the planet. Therefore, we have two options."

He paused as he took in the faces of the officers around him. They were all grim yet determined and ready to do what was necessary. They were all good soldiers, ready to die for their comrades without a moment's hesitation. Rune couldn't have picked better men if he tried. "The first, is that we surrender to the oh so glorious Republic," this caused some of those assembled to snicker. "The second is that we hold out and pray for a miracle. Personally, I vote for the latter, but since we are fighting for democracy, I'll hear your thoughts on this."

The officers were silent for a moment before one of them, a twilek female, spoke up. "Considering that it's Vos we're facing, do we really have a choice, sir?"

They all sobered up at that. Against Quinlan Vos… no, they did not have a choice but to fight or die. He would kill them all without a moment's hesitation even if the Separatists surrendered. Vos wasn't known for his mercy, hell the man treated his own troops like they were machines instead of living beings. His own soldiers certainly wouldn't be given any leniency seeing as they were the enemy.

He nodded grimly to the female. "Unfortunately, the major brings up a valid point. Either we fight, or we die. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'm going to die today, then I'm going to make them _work _for it."

There were multiple nods of agreement throughout the room, with someone even muttering 'you said it, colonel' under their breath. He smiled earnestly at them. Yes, they were all good soldiers. "Alright, now that that's decided, I need a sitrep on what we have left. Captain?"

The indicated man nodded as he pressed a few buttons on the holotable which began to display troop strengths and other statistics. "It's not as bad as it could be. We still have 500 battle droids ready to go: 300 B1s, 150 Supers, and…," his eyes widened slightly at the next number. "No less than fifty Destroyer droids."

There was a low whistle, and Rune didn't blame them. Fifty Destroyers wouldn't change the eventual outcome of this fight, but they would definitely make things difficult for the Republic forces. "Continue," he said, gesturing to the officer who nodded.

"As for organic troops we have sixty three combat ready. We also have plenty of ammunition and gas packs despite the former commandant's," he said this with obvious contempt. "Venture. Vehicle wise we are woefully underequipped."

Rune was sure if had eyebrows he would have raised one of them. "Care to elaborate?"

The man gained a look that Rune most certainly did not like before replying quietly. "We have no vehicles left, sir. The former commandant took them all."

He stared blankly at the man. Surely he had heard wrong. He waited for the man to look at the statistics and say that he had missed something. But his hopes were for naught, and as the colonel realized this he cursed vehemently. Without any ground vehicles to support them they were utterly kriffed. Even if the base had a defensive wall completely surrounding it that would matter little against the AT-TEs, which the Republic force had _a lot _of. Fifty, to be precise. "Do we have any anti-vehicle weaponry?" he whispered, dreading the answer.

The captain shook his head. "No, sir. It was assumed that we wouldn't need any, what with the armor we used to have with us."

His shoulders slumped as reality set in. Without any armor to keep the walkers occupied, the wall would be torn down in a matter of hours. Maybe less. The only way this could get worse would be if their AA lasers stopped working.

The AA lasers…

Rune straightened as hope flashed in his eyes. "The AA guns. Could we reprogram the ones on the wall to target enemies on the ground?"

The captain's eyes widened. It was obvious yet none of them had realized it. "It would be a simple matter sir. I'm sure they could be reprogrammed in a matter of minutes."

The Nemoidian nodded, his face determined. "Get someone on it ASAP."

The human captain saluted before rushing off to carry out the order. Rune turned to the rest of the officers. "Have we received any word from space yet?"

One of them shook their heads. "Nothing yet sir. It would seem our navy has yet to break the Republic blockade. Last I heard though they're still trying."

"We'll have to hold out until they do," he said grimly. "For now we're on our own."

On their own without any reinforcements headed their way in the near future, and outnumbered three to one. It didn't help that most of their troops were droids. The Supers were decent in a fight, but the B1s were little more than cannon fodder. It seemed the only things they had going for them were the AA guns and the wall around the base; the former was keeping the Republic gunships from simply pounding them into oblivion while the latter gave their troops the high ground and kept the enemy from simply swarming into the base.

In the end Rune knew it wouldn't be enough. Eventually something would go wrong, and the Republic would take the base no matter how hard they fought. It was only a matter of time. Still though, that wouldn't stop him from making sure he took as many of them with him as he could. Who knows? He might even get lucky and take out Vos while he was at it. For a moment Rune wished he had the same access to the powers that the Jedi wielded, and wondered how the Force would have helped him get out of this situation.

Unknown to him, it had already given Rune all the help he would need. He would just have to get to the base first.

* * *

It was still something of an awe inspiring sight, seeing this much firepower gathered in one place. Clone troops either marched or stood in formation, their rifles held at their shoulders and their white armor seeming to shine even though it was scuffed and worn from the fighting. Gunships sat at the ready with their engines rumbling, the pilots itching to get back into the fight. The massive forms of the AT-TEs lumbered forward, their gray hulls bristling with firepower.

Kento Marek knew that this was still a drop in the bucket for the Grand Army, but that didn't stop him from being impressed. He was a handsome young man, with close cropped brown hair and eyes that blazed with strength and determination. Determination to prove his worth as a Jedi, and to show everyone his strength. Like many other young Jedi, Kento saw the war as an opportunity to demonstrate his skill and prove his worth as a Jedi. He had yet to achieve Knighthood, but he knew he was close as his master Quinlan Vos had said so himself.

Speaking of his master…

"Kento!" a gruff voice called out from behind him, making the young Jedi turn around to face his master who had stopped a few steps away with a clone in tow. "What are you doing just standing around?"

He had the grace to look sheepish as he replied. "I… umm…"

Vos interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "Never mind that. We're about to advance on the Separatist base, and I need you leading our forces from the front."

The padawan's eyes widened in surprise. Did he hear his master right? "You mean you want me to…"

The Jedi master nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes, you've earned it. Your performance throughout this war has been exemplary. It's time you earned your stripes."

"I… thank you, master!" he cried happily. Finally, a command of his own! "I promise I won't let you down!"

The Kiffar nodded. "I'm sure you won't. Now before you leave, CT-5763 here," he said as he gestured to the clone, who Marek saw was a captain. "Will brief you on our attack plan. It will also give you strategic and tactical advice, though I doubt that will be necessary."

Kento nodded neutrally. "I understand, master."

"Good," Vos nodded as he turned and began walking off leaving Kento and the trooper to themselves.

The padawan turned to the clone with a confident smile on his face. "Well captain, those clankers won't shoot themselves. We'd best get a move on."

The trooper nodded, and together they began heading to a gunship. After a small silence Kento decided to try and strike up a conversation with the soldier. He was going to be working with him after all. "I'm Kento, by the way," he said with an easy going smile. "What's your name?"

"CT-5763, at your service, sir," the trooper replied, causing Kento to frown slightly.

"Not your designation, I mean your actual name."

The clone seemed to regard him for a moment before hesitantly replying. "… Asher, sir."

Kento smiled, glad that he knew the man's name. "Well, it's nice to meet you Asher."

They walked on in silence for a moment. Eventually Kento asked, "So, what's our plan Asher?"

The soldier relayed him the plan, and Kento thought it was simple enough. An advance force under his command would travel in gunships towards the Separatist base before landing outside of the range of their guns. They would then proceed to launch an assault on the base's walls in an alleged attempt to break in. In reality however they were but a distraction. While Kento's troops attacked the base, two squads of Commandoes would infiltrate the base and proceed to knock out the AA guns, taking away the Confederates' only defense against their air superiority. Once that was done his master would arrive with the main force, the majority of which would be transported by air, and they would then proceed to overwhelm the base with their numbers and firepower.

As Asher finished relaying the plan they boarded their gunship, whose troop bay was loaded to the brim with clones ready for battle. Kento couldn't help but admire them for a moment. They were fine soldiers, and he was proud to be fighting alongside these men. He didn't understand why his master demeaned them so often, they were all great people once you got to know them.

That wasn't important though. He was about to head off to battle, and he needed to have a clear head if he was going to show he was ready to be a Knight. He could worry about his master's treatment of their soldiers later.

As the gunship and its brethren lifted off he turned to Asher who stood next to him readying a DC-15. "Hey Asher," he said, getting the clone's attention. "When we get into the fight, don't hesitate to tell me if I'm doing something wrong. I'd be grateful to have your advice."

The clone seemed to regard him from behind his helmet for a moment before he slowly nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, sir."

Grinning, Kento turned back to face the front of the compartment as he held on to one of the handles hanging from the ceiling. He couldn't help but widen the grin on his face as they got closer to the Separatist stronghold. His first command without his master directly watching over him… the though made him giddy with excitement. He couldn't help but feel that things would change for him today.

He had no idea just how right he was.

* * *

Vader had been walking for some time now, and was starting to grow tired. How long had it been? An hour? It certainly felt that way, and yet the Separatist base was nowhere in sight. He briefly considered stopping for a rest but quickly brushed off the idea. Time was of the essence, and he could not afford to waste a single second.

Still that didn't stop him from wondering just how much further he would have to walk. Was even going in the right direction? Because if he had gone the wrong way he was going to be very annoyed.

He stopped suddenly as he felt the Force shift and everything save for his breathing went silent. He had felt something, a presence that was watching him with a worrying amount of focus. The ex-Sith stretched out his senses to try and get a better read on the presence, and his efforts paid off.

There were four of them, soldiers from the feel of it, surrounding him. He focused harder, trying to determine who they were. From the feel of their Force signatures and emotions he guessed that they were clones, though he couldn't tell much more than that. It was always hard to get anything concrete out of simply reading a person's Force signature, even for someone as powerful as him. He was able to tell one thing from the reading though. They all had their weapons aimed straight at him. He bit back the urge to groan in annoyance. It wasn't even his first day back and already someone was pointing a blaster at him. If he didn't know better he would say that the Force had it out for him.

He pondered what to do as he stood there motionlessly, but before he could decide four armored figures burst from the woods with their rifles aimed at different points on his body. Their signature Katarn armor gave the Commandoes away for the elite soldiers that they were. Damn, this was annoying. Now he would have to waste even more time dealing with these soldiers before moving on to the base. Well, on the bright side he supposed this meant that he was at least fairly close to the base. The cyborg doubted that a squad of clone commandoes would be out in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason.

One of them, the leader he presumed, stepped in front of him with his rifle point squarely at Vader's face. "Hands where I can see 'em," he said gruffly, which Vader simply ignored. This caused the clone to snap at him. "Did you hear me, Sep? I said hands where I can see them!"

The Chosen One simply scoffed as he put his fists on his hips, assuming a stance he often did when annoyed. "I do not have time for this foolishness," he replied shortly. "Leave at once."

One of the clones barked out a condescending laugh. "You think you're in any position to give us orders? I'd do what the sergeant says, otherwise this will get ugly."

He did not move from his pose, his chin tilted up in defiance. "I do not answer to you. Leave now, or there will be consequences."

He really didn't have time for this. He didn't want to kill the clones if he didn't have to, but if it came down to it he would. The thought made him slightly uncomfortable, but Vader knew that sometimes you had to dirty your hands to achieve your goal. Twenty years as the spearhead of an expanding empire had taught him that, if nothing else.

The barrel of a blaster being shoved in his face answered his threat. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you," the lead clone answered hotly. "We've already called this in, and more clones are on their way. You're not going anywhere you… whatever you are."

Vader stopped completely as the commando's words registered. Damnit, now he had no choice but to kill them. He steeled his heart as he drew on the Force. "I see," he said in reply. "Then I am afraid you must die. I am sorry."

Before the clones could react he lifted them all up with the Force, applying pressure to their windpipes. In an instant all of their necks were snapped, and the armored bodies fell to the ground with four heavy thuds. At the very least he had been able to give them a quick death. As fellow warriors they deserved at least that much.

He began walking off when he heard something crackle, and he realized it was coming from the dead sergeant's helmet. Kneeling down to remove the helmet, he held it up as he realized the crackle had actually been the trooper's comm.

"_Beta Squad, be advised, we are beginning attack. Requesting a sitrep on your progress to the base and the prisoner you've apprehended. Do you copy?"_

Vader threw the helmet to the ground as he resumed his walking, his pace noticeably quicker than before. Apparently the Republic had begun its attack, and he needed to get to that base, _now. _Hopefully there would still be a ship there by the time he arrived. He knew he could always steal a Republic ship, but he didn't want to run the risk of revealing himself to the Jedi, at least not yet.

His pace became even faster as the sounds of explosions began to ring out. He was close, he could tell. The cyborg noticed the forest beginning to thin out, and nearly broke out into a run as he tried to get a look at the base.

Once he exited the trees the sight that greeted him was nothing short of chaos.

Red and blue blaster bolts filled the air, as soldiers and droids from both sides aimed their weapons and tried to score a hit on the enemy. In front of a walled complex which Vader realized was the Separatist base a mass of white was scurrying about as the clones tried to find cover from the onslaught of Confederate fire coming from the wall. Among the attacking force a group ten AT-TEs exchanged fire with the heavy lasers mounted on the wall, desperately trying to destroy the guns before they themselves were destroyed. Meanwhile above the ground gunships and V-19 Torrents swarmed around the base, doing their best to avoid the AA fire coming from within while adding their own firepower to the fray. It was a spectacular display, with the aerial vehicles performing all sorts of maneuvers and acrobatics to avoid the deadly streaks of red bolts flying at them. Some were still hit, and the occasional fireball accompanied by the AA guns' flak lit up the afternoon sky above the battle.

Vader made to move closer to the base, but then stopped. It would be unwise to make his move before he had a complete understanding of the situation. For all he knew there wasn't a single ship in the Separatist base, and he didn't want to risk his neck for nothing. It would be better to wait for the right moment. Also he felt a presence that was… familiar. It was just on the tip of his tongue, and for the life of him he couldn't remember where he had last felt it. Perhaps he should wait for this person to reveal themselves.

With that in mind, the former Dark Lord simply sat back and watched the battle unfold.

For now he would remain a spectator.

* * *

The base was in chaos as the Republic attack intensified. The sounds of the battle had already reached a fever pitch, with the whine of blasters, cries of pain from organic soldiers, and endless explosions mixing together in a maddening symphony. On the walls of the Separatist stronghold droids poured out a withering barrage of fire down on the Republic force, forcing the attacking clones to either take cover or be pelted by blaster fire.

One of the AA guns that had been modified to target the Republic walkers swiveled on its base as it did just that. The targeting program locked on to the six legged machine and let loose a hail of ruby bolts. The gun's aim was true and the walker was consumed in fire, taking the crew and a few surrounding clones with it. The gun's programming, incapable of emotion simply noted that it had eliminated a target before moving for another lock on. Before it could find its next victim however a clone aimed a rocket launcher at the gun and fired, the deadly projectile screaming as it left the launcher at high speed. Like the walker before it the gun was destroyed in a brilliant explosion, consuming the droids that were too close to it.

A Super Battle Droid on the walls did not even acknowledge this as it continued to calmly fire its arm mounted blasters at the Republic forces alongside its black painted brethren and the more spindly B1s. Its limited intelligence was slightly thankful that it was a droid and therefore did not feel emotion. Emotions led to things like fear and panic. Such things were useless in a battle, and would only prevent the droid from performing its one function: to kill.

It aimed its blaster at a clone who had poked his head a little too far above cover and fired a precise burst. The effect was nearly instantaneous, as the clone was struck right in between his eyes and didn't even have time to scream before he fell over, dead.

The Super noted its kill with a calm detachment as it returned to indiscriminately firing at the Republic lines. If its intelligence had been more complex, like that of an OOM-9 Tactical Droid it would have wondered why the force that was attacking them was holding back. The clones seemed content to hang back and exchange fire with the droids from the ground, an exercise that would end in folly. It also would have wondered why the force seemed undermanned compared to the reports of their scouts on the strength of the main Republic force. Granted ten AT-TEs and 400 clones was nothing to sneeze at, especially for 500 battle droids, but compared with what they were capable of fielding it simply seemed… inadequate, half-hearted almost. As if the Republic forces weren't even _trying _to take the base.

But the droid was nothing more than a killing machine, and it did not stop to ponder the Republic commander's seeming incompetence, it simply continued doing what it was programmed to do. Kill.

As it continued to pour fire into the clone forces it failed to take notice of an AT-TE aiming its main gun at its section of the wall. None of the droids did actually, as they were too busy aiming down at the attacking clones. By pure chance the B2 looked up to see a bolt of blue hellfire streaking directly at it. It let out a surprised mechanical rumble before it and multiple other droids were destroyed.

* * *

In the Separatist command center Rune watched the battle proceed on a holotable with a thoughtful gaze. He had picked up on the fact that the Republic assault seemed undermanned and halfhearted, and he couldn't help but feel worry. At first glance it would appear that the Republic commander was simply incompetent, but Rune knew better than to assume that. There was something that he was missing.

"Area Four just took a hit," a droid technician called out, gaining his attention. "Severe damage to the wall is reported along with multiple casualties. They are requesting reinforcements."

One of his officers stepped forward. "Have three squads move in to fill the gap-"

"Belay that," Rune said calmly, earning him a startled look.

"But sir, if we don't reinforce that area then the wall will be overrun!"

The Nemoidian colonel shook his head as he gestured to the holotable. "Look at their forces. If they were trying to break down the wall they would be swarming that area to try and capitalize on the damage. What do you see them doing?"

The officer scrutinized the holotable for a moment before his eyes lit up in realization. "They haven't moved at all. They're just staying as is."

Rune nodded in confirmation, absently stroking his chin as he observed the holotable. "Why is that, I wonder?" he asked to no one in particular.

What did his opponent possibly hope to gain through this attack?

"We've detected intruders near the reactor!" a droid suddenly shouted, causing everyone to look to it in alarm. "Reports indicate that they're commandoes!"

All of a sudden it clicked. The small assault, the seeming indifference of the Republic force, it all made sense.

The force attacking them wasn't trying to take the base at all. They were merely a distraction.

As he shouted for reinforcements to be sent to the reactor, he already knew that it was too late, as he had fallen into the Republic trap and had no hope of getting out.

* * *

RC-0561, or Thumper as he liked to be called, cursed vehemently as he ducked behind a crate to avoid a blaster bolt to the face. Katarn armor might have been tough, but it wasn't indestructible.

He briefly looked behind him to where his last remaining teammate was setting the charges to detonate the reactor. The sergeant and one of their other squad members had been killed when a human Sep had thrown a grenade that caught the two clones off guard. The explosion hadn't killed them, but the blast had distracted the two commandoes enough for the man to shoot them both in the head.

Thumper had repaid the Sep in kind with a blaster bolt to the face.

Now it was just him and the squad's demolitions expert, Boomer that were left to carry out the mission. They had both realized that with their squad cut down to half strength and Beta Squad not there to assist them this had turned into a one way trip. Both commandoes, instead of panicking at the situation, had become determined to take as many of the Separatist bastards as they could with them.

With that in mind Thumper rose from cover and sprayed a wall of blaster fire at the advancing droids, cutting them down with impunity. He hated the droids, they didn't feel things like fear, and would keep coming in endless waves no matter how many of their fellows they saw cut down. That was one thing they had going for them he supposed. The tin cans just didn't have any quit in them.

He pulled a grenade from his belt and primed it before tossing it in the middle of the Separatists, grinning as he heard several shouts of surprise. "Grenade out!" he shouted as he ducked behind cover just before an explosion that would have been deafening were it not for his helmet's audio filters rocked the room.

He looked over his cover to survey his handy work, and couldn't help the sadistic grin that crossed his face. The reactor room was in ruins from the blast, and both droid and organic parts littered the area.

"And… done!" Boomer exclaimed from behind him, causing the commando to turn around and see a multitude of explosive devices set on the reactor. "Nicely done, if I do say so myself."

Thumper chuckled, hefting his rifle as he did so. "Yeah, well while you were busy planting those charges, _I _was fighting off the whole kriffing droid army."

Boomer took on an indignant pose. "Hey, you can't rush this! Art takes time and careful attention so that it can be perfect."

Thumper couldn't help it. In spite of the gravity of their situation, he laughed. "Art my ass! You're just-," He would have continued, but in that moment two things happened.

The first was that he heard a soft groan come from behind them, and he whirled around to terminate its source.

The second was that the source of the groan, a wounded human male, fired his blaster pistol before slipping away into darkness. The bolt went wide of Thumper, and he felt a surge of relief at the fact that it would miss.

The thing was, it wasn't aimed at him.

The commando turned in horror as Boomer, his comrade, his friend, his _brother, _was hit in the neck of his body suit, perhaps the most vulnerable place on his entire body in the armor. It was a difficult shot, for the wounded man it should have been an impossible shot, but that did not change the fact that his brother was on the ground and clutching his neck and _why wasn't he answering him?_

"Boomer, hey Boomer!" he called, his voice a mixture of dismay and sadness. "Get up, come on!"

But Boomer did not get up, and it was with anguish that Thumper realized that he wasn't going to get up. Now it might have seemed odd to an outside observer that he would be this distressed over his comrade's death when they had both known that they wouldn't be getting out of here alive. The thing was, the two clones had been planning to die on _their _terms, being consumed in the explosion that would knock out the base's reactor and its damned AA guns and give the deaths of their squad mates meaning.

Instead of being granted that, Boomer had been shot in the neck by some Sep that he had somehow managed to only wound, however fatally, instead of kill. He hadn't gotten to choose how he would die, and, Thumper thought, it was all his fault.

He was numb as he simply sat there, gazing down at his squad mate's already cooling corpse, and only looked up when he heard the faint sounds of destroyer droids rolling down the hall toward his position. Mutely he reached over and picked up the detonator that had fallen out of his friend's hands, cradling it against his chest as if it was a newborn.

For a moment he simply sat there with his head bowed as if in prayer, and stayed that way until he heard the destroyers rolling into the room and deploying. Just as they finished uncurling from their circular forms Thumper simply pushed down on the button with his thumb. No elaborate speeches, no memorable last stands, just a brief moment of intense heat, and then nothing.

* * *

The black shape of Vader watched stoically as a portion of the Separatist compound exploded in a fantastic fireball that lit up the sky for a brief, brilliant moment before dying down. The battle seemed to stop for a moment as all of the combatants, even the simple minded droids, took this in. He felt a surge of emotions rush forth from both sides. Shock, horror, triumph, calm acknowledgement, satisfaction, and anticipation.

The pause lasted only a moment before the battle resumed with a new intensity, fueled by the desperation of the Separatists and the determination of the clones to win. A Republic victory was inevitable. With its AA defenses offline there was nothing to protect the base from the fury of the Republic air forces who attacked with everything they had, eager to avenge the deaths of their fellow pilots.

At the same time Vader noted a number of dots appearing on the horizon and closing rapidly. That must have been the main Republic force, called in to finish the job now that the AA guns were offline. Now the cyborg knew that there was no chance the Separatists could win. There were dozens of gunships carrying hundreds of fresh clones and multiple walkers. He could sense a Force signature among them as well, stronger than the one he had felt earlier yet still familiar, and in curiosity he reached out with his senses to determine the individual's identity while at the same time keeping himself hidden. As soon as he barely grazed the presence he figured out who it was and pulled back, not willing to risk being spotted.

_Hmm, so Vos is here is he? _He silently mused. _I don't remember him being sent to Ruusan the first time around. Oh well, perhaps I've just forgotten. It has been twenty years after all._

With that he began to turn around and walk away, as there was nothing left for him here. He had come to Separatist base hoping to get a ship. Obviously he wouldn't be able to do that now.

As he began walking away though the Force nudged him, silently telling him to stay. And that was when he felt it.

_Multiple signatures, packed together, moving fast, _he analyzed. _From where?_

A moment later he pinpointed the direction, and as he turned to look at the newcomers his stomach dropped.

This was not good.

* * *

"I say again, civilian transports are approaching, hold your fire," Asher shouted into his comm. as he and Kento knelt behind cover along with a squad of clones. For his part Kento looked at the transports with a healthy dose of nervousness. After all, a battlefield was the last place civilians needed to be.

Kento had felt the transports as they approached, and after getting a feel of their intentions he had hastily ordered his forces to hold their fire lest they hit the transports. The Separatists seemed to be doing the same thing, as any weapons fire coming from the base was decidedly _not _aimed anywhere near the direction of the transports. It made his respect for the Confederate in charge there go up a couple of notches. It seemed they had a sense of honor as well. At the same time they had sent a message to his master detailing the situation and asking for orders. They hadn't received a reply yet, but it would probably come soon.

Speak of the devil, as soon as he thought that Asher held out a comm. to him. "It's General Vos sir," he said in explanation. "He wants to speak to you personally."

Kento nodded, accepting the device as he activated it. His master's cold look surprised him. "Master Vos," he said in greeting, hiding his nervousness at his master's signature. It was radiating annoyance. "I-"

"Why haven't you shot those transports down yet?" Vos interrupted, shocking the Jedi padawan and clones present. "Hurry up and destroy them."

"B-but, they're carrying civilians," Kento protested, shocked at his master's orders. "Why would we shoot them down?"

"Don't you realize it Kento?" Vos asked rhetorically, as if the reason was obvious. "Those transports could be carrying reinforcements and weapons, and yet you're allowing them straight through to the Separatists!"

Kento's eyes widened. What was his master saying? Could he not feel what was coming from the transports? They were harmless! "I don't feel any hostility from them though!" he protested in a stronger voice. "They aren't here to relieve the Separatists! They're just civilians who've gone off course!"

Vos's reply had the tone of a parent lecturing a child. Kento noted that it filled him with a quiet fury even though he tried to suppress it. "Kento, you should know that there are ways of preventing a Jedi from feeling the true intentions of an individual. It would only make sense that the Separatists would fool us into thinking they were civilian transports. We however know better than to fall for such tricks. Shoot them down, that is an order."

Kento's face hardened, and he was about to give a scathing retort when Vos added, "And if you don't, you can consider your days as a Jedi over."

The padawan blanched, his mouth agape. His master couldn't be serious could he? Yes, he realized as he stared at Vos's cold visage, he was dead serious and wouldn't hesitate about it. He knew that being a Jedi meant everything to Kento. It seemed he also knew how to exploit it.

"It will be done, master," he said in a shaking voice before Vos cut the transmission. With that he turned to Asher, and even without the Force he knew was looking at him in sympathy and pity. "Target the transports," he said in little more than a whisper.

"Sir…" Asher began, but Kento cut him off.

"Just… just do it."

Asher stopped before nodding stiffly and issuing the order. He had to repeat it three times to confirm the shocked inquiries of the fighter pilots.

As a trio of V-19s broke off and headed to the transports, Kento could only sit and watch, the battle around him seemingly forgotten as he stared at the fighters who seemed to be reluctant as they neared their targets.

As they entered weapons range and opened fire, Kento felt a tear slide down his cheek, and inside of him he felt the respect he had once held for his master die with each transport that was engulfed in ugly red flames.

Something else was planted in him as well, something that he failed to notice. It was but a small seed, but the smallest of seeds can bear the largest trees. It was something that would fester and grow in Kento until it became enormous. It was doubt, doubt in his actions, doubt in his dreams, and doubt in the Jedi Order in its entirety.

* * *

Vader staggered back as if he had been physically struck. Surely he was hallucinating? That had to be it. Two decades in his life support suit had finally caused him to snap, because there was no way the Republic had just shot down three unarmed transports for no reason at all. Had the Jedi _lost their minds_?

He reached out to the two Force signatures, brushing each of them simultaneously with a phantom touch that he knew neither would notice. The mystery signature was in a state of shock and shame, and Vader felt a brief pang of pity for the individual before he moved on to the other. What he found filled him with rage.

_Satisfaction._

The Jedi was _pleased _that this had happened. It made the ex-Sith's visage darken even more than it already was, but he composed himself as he decided to risk delving deeper. In spite of the risks he had to know why.

He felt no regret from the Jedi, Vos he remembered, only calm justification and self-righteousness. _It was for the greater good_, Vader picked up from the man's feelings. _It was necessary, they stood in the way of the light and were therefore destroyed._

Vader stood frozen as he retreated from both of the Jedi, surprised that neither had sensed him, especially Vos. That was at the back of his mind though as what he had felt from Vos's head repeat in his mind like a mantra.

_That _was his justification? They were destroyed because they weren't on the side of the light? Surely he hadn't just read that from the mind of a Jedi.

And yet, even as Vader thought this he knew it was true. Now that he thought about it, he had seen this attitude countless times before. When Jedi stole a speeder to chase someone down, when they more or less kidnapped children from their families to train them in the Force, when they killed someone, he had felt this same thing from each Jedi. _I am on the good side, therefore this is justified._

Vader would be the first to admit that he had done horrible things. He had manipulated, tortured, killed, and flat-out lied to achieve his goals under Sidious. But he hadn't lied to himself. He had known what he was doing was most likely wrong and he had accepted it. He hadn't tried to hide behind a wall of justifications and self-righteousness. And yet here the Jedi were, doing just that. Were they that deluded? If so, then they weren't fit to run the galaxy any longer.

He blinked as he saw the large force of gunships closing in on the base. The Separatist fire seemed to have intensified in spite of their losses, and he could feel their anger and horror, their righteous fury as they fought to avenge what had happened here. Even the droids seemed fiercer than usual. Vader was unsurprised when found that he felt that same fury. It wasn't the kind of blind fury that he had felt before, it was the sort that demanded justice and would not stop until it had received it.

At that moment, any thoughts that Vader had of leaving the Separatists to their fate were banished from his mind. It was clear who the more honorable and realistic side was in this battle, and by the Force he would not see them lose, not if he had a say. He bent his legs slightly as he pulled his arms back and gathered his energy. He called upon his righteous fury, called upon his horror at what had been done to those civilians and used it to channel the Dark Side into his body.

He was briefly surprised when he felt the Dark Side once again. Before it had been a dark voice at his ear, tempting him with power and glory if he would only sink himself into it further. Now it was completely different. What he felt was not a dark temptress but a determined comrade, ready to aid him in whatever way it could. Wait, since when had the Dark Side ever struck him as a _comrade_?

He smiled as he remembered what the Force had told him. _The Darkness is a part of us, one that is misunderstood and shunned. We would have you change that._

_So this is the true nature of the Dark Side, _he thought as he gathered his strength. _I feel… like I can depend on it, that it has my back. This is… incredible!_

His grin turned predatory as the two Jedi finally registered the buildup of energy that he was producing. It was too late for them to do anything.

With a push of his arms, Darth Vader unleashed his power.

And the Force _flared._

* * *

Author's Notes: Remember how I said this was at the bottom of my priorities right now? Well, I happen to have a minor case of writer's block at the moment, but this story is conveniently the only one not affected by it. How ironic. It looks like the block is coming to an end though, so hopefully things will return to normal for me.

Another motivator for me to push up this update was the feedback that the first chapter received. Within two days I had received about twenty four reviews giving nothing but glowing praise and asking me to update. That's the most reviews I've ever gotten for a single chapter in any story... ever. To say I was astounded would be an understatement. Perhaps I need to rethink this story's place in my priorities.

As for this chapter itself, I've proofread it a couple of times, and while I can't find any major flaws I feel as if it might be slightly rushed. I haven't written for a few weeks, so I'm most likely a little rusty. I'll leave that to your judgement.

For those of you who like Vos, I do not regret my blatant bashing of him. I cannot stand the man. A commander who treats his soldiers as objects instead of living beings does not deserve to be in command, period. It annoys me how he is one of the only Jedi to get a happy ending after Order 66.

Feel free to leave a review giving me your thoughts or send me a PM. I'm always up for answering questions or simply having a chat.

Til next time.


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